PawProper

  If your cat's belly swings a little when they walk, or you can no longer feel their ribs under a soft layer of padding, you are not alone. Weight gain is one of the most common health problems in indoor cats, and it creeps up slowly — a few extra treats here, a slightly fuller bowl there. The good news is that a sensible weight-loss plan works for most cats, and it does not mean starving your pet or buying expensive specialty products. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read our full Affiliate Disclosure here. Is My Cat Actually Overweight? Before changing anything, it helps to know where your cat stands. Vets use a body condition score from 1 to 9, with 4 to 5 being ideal. At a healthy weight, you should be able to feel your cat's ribs with light pressure but not see them, and your cat should have a visible waist when viewed from above. A sagging belly pouch is normal in many cats, especially after n...

  Why the First Year Matters So Much Bringing a kitten home is joyful and slightly chaotic. One minute they are asleep in a sunbeam, the next they are racing across the room and demanding dinner. All that growing and playing takes a lot of energy, and the food you offer in the first year lays the foundation for a healthy adult cat. Kittens grow astonishingly fast, reaching close to adult size within twelve months, so their nutritional needs differ greatly from an adult cat's. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read our full Affiliate Disclosure here. A kitten's diet needs more protein, more calories, and a careful balance of vitamins and minerals than an adult cat's diet. Feeding adult cat food too early can leave a growing kitten short on what they need for strong bones, healthy eyes, and a robust immune system. Getting it right is simpler than it sounds once you know a few basics. What Kittens Need Th...

Walk down any pet food aisle and you will face the same question: a pouch of wet food, or a bag of crunchy kibble? Both can feed a healthy cat well, and both have real trade-offs. The best choice is rarely about one being good and the other bad — it is about your cat's age, health, teeth, weight, and what they will actually eat happily. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read our full Affiliate Disclosure here. What Wet Food Offers Wet food is typically around 70 to 80 percent water. That moisture is its biggest selling point. Many cats are not enthusiastic drinkers, and a diet rich in wet food quietly tops up their daily water intake, which supports urinary tract and kidney health over a lifetime. Wet food also tends to be softer and more aromatic. For kittens, older cats, and cats with sore mouths or missing teeth, a soft pate or shredded texture is simply easier to ma...

Homemade cat food: a simple bowl of shredded chicken. More cat owners than ever are cooking for their cats. Maybe you want to know exactly what goes into the bowl, cut down on additives, or tempt a fussy eater who turns up her nose at store-bought food. Homemade cat food can be a wonderful option — but cats are not small dogs, and they are definitely not furry humans. Their bodies run on rules that are stricter than ours, and a few common kitchen staples are genuinely dangerous for them. Here is what is safe, what is not, and how to do it right. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read our full Affiliate Disclosure here. Cats Are Obligate Carnivores — Here's Why That Matters An obligate carnivore is an animal that must eat meat to survive. Cats cannot make certain nutrients on their own the way omnivores can. Taurine, for example, is an amino acid cats need for heart and eye health, and they must get it fro...